Over time, Guinea Pigs R Us Rescue does everything we can to help save countless precious lives. However, along with the good comes sad times.
We will miss the following pets that have come through the rescue. We pride ourselves in knowing we were able to provide them with a much happier and safe life, even if for just a short period of time.
Digby
Digby the Degu was rescued from a shelter when his time there ran out. He spent a short period of time in foster care, and then went to his wonderful adoptive home to live with a degu buddy. Unfortunately Digby passed away this May (2007) and will be greatly missed by his adoptive mom. While we are terribly saddened by the loss of Digby, we are comforted by the knowledge that he was able to spend his remaining months in a home where he was extremely well cared for and loved very much.
Linus
Linus was rescued when he was found in a Hamilton field and brought to the local shelter. Unfortunately Linus passed away September 2007 and will be greatly missed by his adoptive mom and by his foster family who loved him dearly.
Rodriguez
Rodriguez was one of a litter of six babies who were born in foster care on November 8, 2007, but sadly passed away on November 26, 2007. Rodriguez was outgoing, loved to explore, run and play. He enjoyed popcorning like crazy when he got excited and he sure did love his veggies! Rodriguez will be deeply missed by his foster Mom and family, as well as those that got to know him in such a short time.
Hazel McCallion
Hazel McCallion was discovered abandoned outside of a police station in a small town North of Toronto in the fall of '08. A kind soul took her in, but could not care for her and contacted the rescue for help. Hazel's cage was a disgrace - it had a wire bottom which is not suitable for ANY small animal, was filthy beyond belief, and all she had in it was her igloo, a wire wheel, a water bottle full of sludge, and a food bowl with guinea pig pellets in it.
Hazel was near death when she was discovered - barely able to move, let alone eat and drink. The person who took her in saw an incredible recovery within a week, probably due in large part to being warm and clean. She was soon able to move around and eat and drink, but was very wobbly and terribly itchy.
Hazel was diagnosed with a severe case of mites - her feet were raw from her previous environment and also from the mites; all she did was sit and twitch and scratch. She was quickly treated for the parasites, put on antibiotics to prevent infection and given an analgesic to lessen her discomfort.
After being switched to quality food, getting a comfortable and safe cage setup and recovering from her ailments, it became obvious that Hazel was one special degu. Everyone commented on how cute she was and how different she looked - not only was she missing the tip of her tail, but it was also crooked! Her ears were floppy and looked more like guinea pig ears than degu ears.
Hazel McCallion was named in honour of the mayor of Mississauga - both little ladies are "mature" and extremely feisty, smart and also kind-hearted. We thought the name suited our little girl perfectly as she displayed many of the same traits as the beloved mayor.
While Hazel was very healthy and happy for most of her time with us, she unfortunately developed a problem with her eye and went through surgery to remove it. While she was starting to recover from the eye removal, being the little trouper that she was, she succumbed to kidney failure, something that even her strong little soul could not conquer.
It was truly a blessing to have Hazel in our lives, if only for a short time. We are comforted by the thought that for her remaining months on Earth she was treated with the love and respect that she deserved, and that she touched many lives with her "specialness".
Holly
Holly the hamster was brought into the rescue from a shelter that was overloaded with little critters. At that time Holly was very afraid of people and was prone to nipping! We despaired of ever finding her a home, but a few months after being in the rescue the perfect person applied to adopt her. Even after biting her new "mom" at their first meeting, this person was more than happy to take her home and give her the life she deserved.
Little Holly had the best hammy life in her new home - getting gifts at Christmas and having many photo shots that were shared with the rescue. She never bit anyone again and became very friendly as she quickly learned that not all people were hurtful and that she could trust her new mom completely.
Sadly Holly recently passed away in her adoptive mother's hands. Her family was devastated by her loss and will remember her always, as will her family at GPRU.
Ella
Ella was rescued from a local animal services where she was about to be euthanized because they were painting their facility and had nowhere to put their small animals. We luckily acquired a foster home for her right away, where she was quickly socialized and kept comfy and entertained. She was soon adopted by a wonderful family who loved her with all their hearts.
Being an older hamster, a year later Ella passed away. Her family had a beautiful service in her memory and she was laid to rest. She will be greatly missed as she brought a lot of joy to her people, especially her girls who were so gentle with her and cared so deeply for her.
Bert & Ernie
Bert & Ernie came to the rescue in the fall of '07. They had already spent months in a shelter, going to foster care here and there for treatment of respiratory disease. Unfortunately when it looked like the boys would not recover from their illness and would not be adoptable, they were scheduled for euthanasia.
Luckily a kind-hearted person begged GPRU to take the boys in and so we did. The boys spent the entire year and a half in the rescue on antibiotics for their issues, but also in comfort and happiness. Sadly, Ernie passed away suddenly this May of a pancreatic tumour. His brother Bert followed 2 weeks later, from an inoperable and painful tumour in one of his legs.
We're very grateful for the time we got to spend with these little guys. Although they generally preferred each other's company, the times when they would play and snuggle with their foster mom meant all the more. They were great little dudes, and should never be forgotten.